Gaseous discharge tube



Sept. 30, 1952 E. w. HULLEGARD GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1947 Sept. 30, 1952 E. w. HULLEGARD GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1947 Ligiydz EJJLHU/ Sept. 30, 1952 E. w. HULLEGARD GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBE 5 She'ets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 6, 1947 /N V N TQR Patented Sept. 30, 1952 UNITED a 2 2;e12,s-2s k a GxsricUs DTSGHARGE TUBE Erik Waldemar- Hullegard; StockholmfSwcden-Q assignoz to Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson, Stockholm, Sweden, a company of Sweden Application November 6, 1947- sen-auto; 78 1;485-

In S'wedenNovemBer23, I946 y 6 Claims. (01. 315F338) the arrangement is based; on theknowledge: that a gaseous discharge between two electrodes; in a discharge tube may begiven; a thread: shaped path through the gas: Itis" possible through suitable-dimensioning of the: electrodsc:ahd suitable choice of the-gas pressure: and the': voltage between the electrodes. to produce an; arc: dis

charge following a very' narrow path,- outside which only an unimportant ionization of the gas is obtained. The are between theutwo electrodes; the anode and the cathode; hereinafter-called arc electrodes, may then be directed to different places Within thetube; wherewivmayproduce contact with other electrodes? or between a: plurality of such electrodes" Such furtherelectrodes are hereinafter called contact electrodes: and their number may be arbitrary. Initheaprincipa'l cases, magnetic fields ortelectricpfieldsi arezused to produce the desired eii'ect and the description therefor relates chiefiyto said; cases',-.the use'of magneticrfields thereby 'beingtakenaseabasis;

The-pathpf ancarc dischargein autubesof the said type can be affected-by means of a magnetic fie1d,. the lines of forcer'ofwhichform. an angle with the.;arc: suitably a right angle with the plane; in which therarc is proceeding; Iisan element of length of thearcristdl, thfltfOI'CBzidFiil'l the plane'of the arc-.tendingto movethis element ofythearc will ;be :e ual to" the: product .of- If the magnetic induction BI.. thecurrent i, and .dl thus The path of thearcmay therefore-be; altered by changing the induction of the: arc current. The induction may naturally the changed arbitrarily, for instance, by dis-placing amagnet, by shunting the magnetic field. in the tubeor by changing a magnetizing; current. In asimilar. way,-the position of the arc'in thespaceimaybe influenced by means ofan electric field arranged in a way known per se for similar'purposes.

In order to produce a connectionbetween elec-' trodes in the tube'and thereby between conductorsconnected to (the: electrodesathe discharge tacting. electrodes; whilst the other one or the contact electrodes connected to an. exterior circuit,v in which also the arc electrode: in questionzforms'a part. As soon as the arc has been brought into contact with: a contact electrode; part1 ofa'the: current can be" withdrawn at said electrode;

It is" however. possible to arrange a pluralityoi contact electrodes in thetube in. the. vicinity of each other for each exterior circuit to; be actuated: by" the tube, and by. means of the conductablesr arci'torproduce a conducting connection between the electrodes in' such: groups of corresponding electrodes The: advantage with such distance between: the: electrodes; the other tube data. and the: available" voltage in the circuits, itiis however: also? possible: to ionize the gas between such contact. electrodes: by means. of the discharge" are: tween said'relectrodes; whichrremains' after: the

original discharge are has be'en quenched ordirected-to another place in the: tube; may be startedin this way. It is thus'pos'sible to make the arc=ionize discharge-paths in different groups of contact electrodes} which may be placed in Sucharway; that several groups may be actuated simultaneously, and' thereby produce closing of several circuits independent "of each" other; It is further possible to make oneielectrode' common to a number of contact-electrodes, soith'at a num ber of electrodes in arbitrary, combinations can be brought into; conducting; connection with said common electrode.-

The discharge are may also be influenced by further magnetic or electric'lfields makinga isxpossible to deflect-the arc into two. directions independent of each other. Inlthisrway; the arc can be'directed to electrode systems,= the position of which is determined by two coordinates (e: g. cry-selectors).

Then-invention and theforegoingrwillbeunderstood more. clearlic from the followings:- descrip- An independent discharge; be

tion with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l, is a top plan view and Fig. 2 is a side view of a tube in which the arc itself constitutes the conducting member between a contact electrode and an arc electrode, and v Fig. 3 is a top planjview and Fig. 4 is a side View, mainly in section, with group electrodes between which a secondary discharge may be started by means of the deflectable arc.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing electric means for deflecting the arc, and Fig. 6 is a side view showing means for altering the current intensity oi the arc discharge itself.

Inthe figures, l indicates an envelope, in which an anode 2 and a thermionic cathode 3, are. ar

ranged. In Figs. 1 and 2 the cathode '3 isshdwn as directly heated, in Figs. 3 and 4 it consists of an indirectly heated electron emitting point electrode.

It is naturally possible to use any known electron emitting =-system' as cathode, even such as do not requirea current source, Which'in the cathodes" according to the figures is connected at 4. A discharge are 'I between the anode and the cathode of the tube Suitable impedances are arranged in the anode circuitin order to control the'current of the arc discharge-" Without influenc from an: exterior field, the arc-will progress .as indicated at]. in Fig.2; In Fig. 2a number. of contactelectrodes are indicated, 8-l2-2 and It, [the lead-in wires of which-are shownonly partly the figure, as

being of no importancefor the zunderstandingof the invention; .Theselead-in wires may suitably be providedwith insulating sleeves. The are between the: anode andthe cathode may be forced to move towards these electrodes under'theiinfiuence of an exterior .field. In the figure, a

magnetic field perpendicularto the path oithe arcand to the intended movement of the arc is for this purpose generated by means of a coil I 4 connected to acurrent source at [5 and I6, the current flow throughsaid coil being determined for'instance by means of resistances ll so dimensioned, thata certain resistance corresponds toa position of the are at a predetermined contact electrode; In the figure, the arc l3 makes contact with the contact electrode I0 and'a suitable point invthe circuit of the arc, for instance the cathode. The are remains between the anode and the cathode all the time, during which the contact electrode is actuated. By changing the poles of the magnetic'field, the arc can be brought downwards in the figure, for instance to the contact electrode 18. j

InFigures 3 and 4, an embodiment of a tube according to the invention is shown, whichis provided with groups of electrodes comprising two electrodes, between which it is possible, at suitable dimension ofthe corresponding circuits, to start, with the arc, a secondary gas discharge, which is maintained as long as the said circuits meet the requirements necessary to make is possible. If, for some reason, a circuit closed in such a way is broken, the secondary gas discharge ceases, and a new closing of the circuit can take placeonly by the aid of thearc between the anode 2 and the cathode 3. The are can thus be used for closing an arbitrary number of circuits, which can be quite independent of each other.

In Fig. 4, twenty groups of electrodes arranged in 4 columns, 2 l-24, and 5 rows, 25-29, are shown,

to which the arc can be directed by deflection,

into two directions. Such a deflection can be produced bytwo magnetic fields controlled in the contact group or contact groups is affected by the arc. It is, ofcourse, also possible to arrange two or more groups of electrodes so that they may be actuated simultaneously by the arc, .thus'closing two or more independent circuits at the same time.

In the figure, the groups of electrodes in the columns 2| and 22 respectively are made with a common electrode rod for 'oneof the electrodes in each group. I

The arc is shown when incontact with the group of electrodes in the column 23 and the row 26, where it starts a secondary discharge and thereby aclosing of a circuit, if the data of said circuit allow it.

-The' embodiment of the tubes can naturally varyiconsiderably with regard to the purpose, for which the tubes. are to be used. The magnetic fields can likewise. be replaced by electric fields as 'shownin Fig. 5, in which an electric field is produced between the plates 3| and 32. The field manner than by changing the intensity of a field,

for instanceby changing the current in the arc asindicatedin Fig; 6, wherein the positive potential' ofthe anode 2 is altered by means of a devicesimilar. to that shown in Figs. 2 and 5 for varying the field intensities.

vIclaim:

l. A selector deviceincluding in combination anenvelopecomprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and a cathode in saidgaseous' discharge tube, a plurality of contact electrodes positioned between said anode and said cathode,

a current sourceconnected to said anode and cathode .for producing a string shaped arc discharge-normally occupying a predetermined zero position in the space. between same, and magnetic means positioned adjacent said discharge tub for selectively deflecting the path of said are discharge from said predetermined zero p0- sition to any one of a number of other positions in which said are discharge simultaneously contacts 'one of said contact electrodes, in addition to-the anode and-cathode.

2."A' selector device including in combination an envelope comprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and; a'cathode in said gaseous discharge-tube, aplurality of contact electrodes positioned-between said anode and said cathode and each consisting of two plates mounted addetermined z ero position in the space between same, and magnetic means positioned adjacent said discharge'tube for selectively defiecting'the path" of said arc "discharge from said predetermined zero positionto any one of a number of other positions in which said are dischar e simultaneously contacts the plates of a contact electrode, in addition to the anode and cathode.

3. A selector device including in connection an envelope comprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and a cathode in said gaseous discharge tube, a set of contact electrodes positioned between aid anode and said cathode, and a counter electrode common to said contact electrodes, a current source connected to said anode and cathode for producing a string shaped arc discharge normally occupying a predetermined zero position in the space between same, and magnetic means positioned adjacent said discharge tube for selectively deflecting the path of said arc discharge from said predetermined zero position to any one of a number of other positions in which said are discharge simultaneously contact one of said contact electrodes and the counter electrode while at the same time maintaining the electrical connection between the cathode and the anode during the operation of the device.

4. A selector device including in combination an envelope comprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and a cathode in said gaseous discharge tube, a set of contact electrodes positioned between said anode and said cathode, a source of current the poles of which are adapted to be connected to said anode and cathode for producing a string shaped arc discharge normally occupying a predetermined zero position in the space between same, means for generating a first magnetic field within the gaseous discharge tube, means for generating a second magnetic field within the gaseous discharge tube with the lines of force of said second magnetic field at an angle to the lines of force of the first magnetic field, means for changing the direction of said first magnetic field to selectively direct the path of said are discharge in one direction from the predetermined zero position, means for changing the direction of said second magnetic field to simultaneously and selectively deflect the path of said arc discharge in another direction from said predetermined zero position to any one of a number of other predetermined positions in each of which said arc discharge simultaneously touches one of said contact electrodes in addition to the anode and cathode.

charge tube, a set of contact electrodes positioned between said anode and cathode, a current source connected to said anode and cathode for producing a string shaped arc discharge normally occupying a predetermined zero position in the space between same, means for generating an electric field within said gaseous discharge tube,

' means for changing the direction of said electric field in order to selectively deflect the path of said arc discharge from the predetermined zero position to one of a number of other predetermined positions in which said are discharge is 5. A selector device including in combination an envelope comprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and a cathode in said gaseous disdiverted to simultaneously touch one of said contact electrodes, in addition to the anode and cathode.

6. A selector device including in combination an envelope comprising a gaseous discharge tube and an anode and a cathode in said gaseous discharge tube, a selected number of contact electrodes positioned between said anode and cathode, a current source connected to said anode and cathode for producing a string shaped are normally occupying a predetermined zero position in the space between same, means for generating a magnetic field within said gaseous discharge tube, means for varying the intensity of the current of the arc discharge to selectively deflect the path of said are discharge from said predetermined zero position to one of a number of other predetermined positions in each of which said deflected arc discharge simultaneously touches one of said contact electrodes, in addition to the anode and cathode.

ERIK WALDEMAR HULLEGARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 829,447 Vreeland Aug. 28, 1906 1,585,173 Simpson May 18, 1926 1,608,268 Found et a1 Nov. 23, 1926 2,067,966 Klemperer Jan. 19, 1937 2,087,753 Davies July 20, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 310,049 Great Britain Apr. 19, 1929 468,185 Great Britain June 30, 1937 

